Although ThisCrush is, according to its creators, a social network aimed at messages that seek to flatter and enamor the recipient, the truth is that the possibility of sending comments anonymously causes the messages of offensive type, insults, threats, etc. to rocket there.
The ThisCrush social network is not even two years old and is already a reference among 12 year old teenagers or even minors.
A meaning of the term “Crush” refers to those Platonic loves that are not reciprocated. The social network ThisCrush is based on this, on being able to send to another person messages to initiate a loving relation of anonymous form or, if it is wanted, showing the real name.
Minors create their profile with the hope of receiving compliments from their friends. These profiles can be easily shared through other social networks with a simple link, even in a public way, which favors its rapid propagation.
Insults and other harmful messages from their supposed “friends” soon appear, which can also be read publicly if the person who sends them decides. For this reason, cyberbullying cases are frequent in this social network, especially when the humiliating messages received multiply and there are several people who insult. In addition, the victim usually suffers the problem in silence for fear of confessing it to their parents or guardians.
The false sense of anonymity
Anonymity on the Internet does not exist. We can act without providing our name or identity, but the truth is that the trail of our activity can be investigated and, with the appropriate police means, they can track us down.
This social network seems specially designed to give the impression of that false anonymity. Not only is it possible to send messages anonymously, but we can register in it without even providing our email. It only requires a username and password.
But the possibility of directing messages to someone anonymously usually encourages the use of the medium for humiliating purposes. There are many cases of harassment and insults directed at minors in this social network. One need only take a look at the profiles of almost any of its users to see what they say among themselves, moreover, almost always publicly.
This is just a small sample drawn from several different profiles:
But as a sign that impunity does not even exist in ThisCrush, we can read this case of two teenagers aged 15 and 16 who were investigated by the police after using this social network to harass a classmate, even threatening her with death just because of her sexual condition.
How to protect yourself
The only way to avoid the risk of ThisCrush is simply NOT to use it. Whoever does not want to receive offensive messages, should not make a profile on this anonymous social network or in any of the others that exist.
However, the system has developed some simple tools for the offended user to report this type of case to the administrators.
If a certain user receives several complaints, his profile will be blocked for a few weeks. But remember that nothing prevents that same user from creating another profile or as many as he wants since he is not even required to include his email.
Currently, this social network only has a Web version. Until not long ago it could also be used as an Android application, but at the time of writing this article it is no longer available in its official store.